Method and device for storing content on a removable medium

ABSTRACT

The method consists of providing ( 1 ) a user interface for selecting a content item stored on a storage means, retrieving ( 3 ) a further content item related to the content item from a system on a network using an identification of the content item, and storing ( 5 ) the further content item on the removable medium. The electronic device contains a writer ( 23 ), a control unit ( 25 ), and a network interface ( 27 ). The control unit ( 25 ) is able to use an input device and an output device to enable a user to select a content item stored on a storage means ( 33 ), to use the network interface ( 27 ) for retrieving a further content item related to the content item from a system on a network using an identification of the content item, and to use the writer ( 23 ) for storing the further content item on the removable medium. The computer program product enables, upon its execution, a programmable apparatus to function as the electronic device.

The invention relates to a method of storing content on a removablemedium, the method comprising the steps of providing a user interfacefor selecting a content item stored on a storage means and storingcontent on the removable medium.

The invention further relates to an electronic device for storingcontent on a removable medium, the electronic device comprising a writerable to store content on the removable medium, a control unit able touse an input device and an output device to enable a user to select acontent item stored on a storage means.

The invention also relates to a computer program product enabling, uponits execution, a programmable apparatus to function as an electronicdevice for storing content on a removable medium.

An embodiment of this method is applied in well-known consumerelectronic devices comprising both a hard disk and a Digital Video Disk“DVD” writer, e.g. the PANASONIC™ DMR-HS2 DVD writer. A user of such aconsumer electronics device is able to select a program, e.g. atelevision program, recorded on the hard disk to be written to a DVDusing the DVD writer. The program is generally copied from the hard diskto the DVD as it was recorded on the hard disk. However, the written DVDmay contain disturbances due to transmission errors and may not containthe extra content that buyers of pre-recorded DVDs have becomeaccustomed to.

It is a drawback of the known method that it hardly enhances theselected programs for permanent storage.

It is a first object of the invention to provide a method of the kinddescribed in the opening paragraph, by which content is enhanced forpermanent storage.

It is a second object of the invention to provide an electronic deviceof the kind described in the opening paragraph, which is able to enhancecontent for permanent storage.

According to the invention the first object is realized in that furthercomprised is the step of retrieving a further content item related tothe content item from a system on a network using an identification ofthe content item; and the step of storing content on the removablemedium comprises storing the further content item on the removablemedium. The popularity of pre-recorded DVD-video discs is in part due tothe bonus material supplied on these discs. By retrieving a furthercontent item related to the content item, e.g. bonus material, andstoring the further content item with the content item on a removablemedium, e.g. a DVD+RW (re-writeable), the removable medium has a valuewhich is more similar to that of a pre-recorded DVD-video disc.

In an embodiment of the method of the invention, the step of storingcontent on the removable medium further comprises storing the contentitem on the removable medium. This step is advantageous if the contentitem has first been stored on a non-removable storage means, e.g. a harddisk. Alternatively, the content item may already be stored on theremovable medium.

Further comprised may be the step of providing a user interface forpaying for the further content item. By letting a user pay for thefurther content item, content creators are able to profit further from apopular content item. This is especially of importance in the light ofcommercial skipping features of new consumer electronics devices,possibly leading to a reduction in advertisement revenues. Revenues ofthe further content item can even be used to finance the production of asequel to the content item if advertisement revenues alone are notsufficient.

Further comprised may be the step of authenticating to the system.Instead of or in addition to paying per content item, a user may need topay a subscription fee per period. An electronic device, for example,may have to authenticate to the system to enable the system to determinewhether the user is a subscriber.

The step of retrieving a further content item may comprise retrieving atleast one of: a removed scene, an added scene, a biography, adocumentary, an image, an advertisement, a menu, a menu comprising anadvertisement, and a trailer. Many of these items have proven to besuccessful on pre-recorded DVD-video discs. On pre-recorded DVD-videodiscs, a menu enhances access to the content item and to bonus material.An advertisement may be incorporated in a menu to make a user paymentsmaller or unnecessary. The menu comprising the advertisement may bestored in such a way that it is not possible for a user to skip theadvertisement.

The step of storing content on the removable medium may further comprisestoring a menu on the removable medium. When a menu cannot be retrievedfrom the system, this step may be executed to create a menu and storethe menu on the removable medium.

The step of retrieving a further content item may comprise retrieving apart of a master copy of the content item, the part not being present inthe content item. Sometimes, the beginning or ending of a television“TV” program, e.g. credits of a movie, may be missing. There may also bean interfered part due to a bad signal. This may not be a problem fortemporarily stored content, but is not desirable in permanently storedcontent. The missing or interfered parts may be retrieved to make thecontent item of the same quality as the master copy. Furthermore, themaster copy may comprise multiple layers of data, in which thecombination of all of the multiple layers represents a highest quality.If not all of the multiple layers are present in the content item, amissing layer may be retrieved to make the content item of the samequality as the master copy.

According to the invention, the second object is realized in thatfurther comprised is a network interface; the control unit is able touse the network interface to retrieve a further content item related tothe content item from a system on a network using an identification ofthe content item; and the control unit is able to use the writer tostore the further content item on the removable medium.

In an embodiment of the electronic device of the invention, furthercomprised is the storage means.

These and other aspects of the method and the electronic device of theinvention will be further elucidated and described with reference to thedrawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of the method;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the electronic device;

Corresponding elements within the drawing are identified by the samereference numerals.

In FIG. 1, the method of storing content on a removable medium comprisesa step 1 providing a user interface for selecting a content item storedon a storage means. The storage means may be, for example, a hard diskor a DVD-writer containing a DVD+RW. A user may, for example, be able toselect the content item based on its title, on an index number, or on adate and/or time of recording. The method also comprises a step 3 ofretrieving a further content item related to the content item from asystem on a network using an identification of the content item. Theuser may be able to determine which of multiple further content items isretrieved, for example, in a further step of the method or duringconfiguration of the method. The network may be, for example, theInternet and the system may be, for instance, an Hyper Text TransferProtocol “HTTP” server. The identification may be, for example, a title,a fingerprint of the content item, an identifier embedded in the contentitem, or an identifier embedded in an electronic program guide entry ofthe content item. An identifier may also comprise an address of thesystem. The identification may be sent to the system encoded or partlyencoded in Extensible Markup Language “XML”. The method furthercomprises a step 5 for storing content on the removable medium. Step 5comprises storing the further content item on the removable medium. Theremovable medium may be, for example, a DVD+RW, a BLU-RAY™ optical discformat, or a holographic medium.

Step 5 may further comprise storing the content item on the removablemedium. Further comprised may be a step 9 providing a user interface forpaying for the further content item. The user may, for example, be ableto provide credit card details or may be shown instructions on how topay using a phone. Further comprised may be a step 11 authenticating tothe system. An electronic device, for example, may have to authenticateto the system to enable the system to determine whether a user is asubscriber. In step 11, the user may be requested to provideauthentication parameters, e.g. a name and a password. Alternatively,the user may be able to configure authentication parameters in theelectronic device.

Step 3 of retrieving a further content item may comprise retrieving atleast one of: a removed scene, an added scene, a biography, adocumentary, an image, an advertisement, a menu, a menu comprising anadvertisement, and a trailer. Step 5 may further comprise storing a menuon the removable medium.

Step 3 of retrieving a further content item may comprise retrieving apart of a master copy of the content item, the part not being present inthe content item. The part that is not present in the content item maybe detected by searching the content item for errors. Step 3 may, forexample, comprise this search for errors. Error detection may also occurwhile storing the content item. Information regarding detected errorsmay be stored on the removable medium or on the storage means.Identification, e.g. a fingerprint, of a first part and/or a last partof the content item may be transmitted to the system or a further systemon the network. The system or the further system may be able todetermine a part of the master copy that precedes the first part of thecontent item and/or a part of the master copy that follows the lastpart.

In FIG. 2, the electronic device 21 for storing content on a removablemedium comprises a writer 23, a control unit 25, and a network interface27. The writer 23 is able to store content on the removable medium. Thecontrol unit 25 is able to use an input device and an output device toenable a user to select a content item stored on a storage means 33. Thecontrol unit 25 is also able to use the network interface 27 to retrievea further content related to the content item from a system on a networkusing an identification of the content item. The control unit 25 isfurther able to use the writer 23 to store the further content item onthe removable medium. Further comprised may be the storage means 33. Theelectronic device 21 may be, for example, a DVD-recorder. The writer 23may be, for example, a DVD writer or a Blu-Ray writer. The control unit25 may be, for example, a microprocessor. The storage means 33 may be,for example, a hard disk. Alternatively, the storage means may be thewriter 23 containing the removable medium. The input device may be, forexample, a remote control able to transmit to an infrared sensor 31. Theoutput device may be, for example, a TV connected to a connector 29 or adisplay of the electronic device 21. The connector 29 may be, forexample, an antenna socket, a Cinch socket, or a Syndicat desConstructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs “SCART”connector. The network interface 27 may be, for example, an Ethernetconnector, e.g. unshielded twisted pair “UTP” or Bayonet Neill Concelman“BNC”. Alternatively, the network interface 27 may comprise a wirelesstransmitter and a wireless receiver.

While the invention has been described in connection with preferredembodiments, it will be understood that modifications thereof within theprinciples outlined above will be evident to those skilled in the art,and thus the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments butis intended to encompass such modifications. The invention resides ineach and every novel characteristic feature and each and everycombination of characteristic features. Reference numerals in the claimsdo not limit their protective scope. Use of the verb “to comprise” andits conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements other thanthose stated in the claims. Use of the article “a” or “an” preceding anelement does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

‘Means’, as will be apparent to a person skilled in the art, are meantto include any hardware (such as separate or integrated circuits orelectronic elements) or software (such as programs or parts of programs)which perform in operation or are designed to perform a specifiedfunction, be it solely or in conjunction with other functions, be it inisolation or in co-operation with other elements. The invention can beimplemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements,and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the device claimenumerating several means, several of these means can be embodied by oneand the same item of hardware. ‘Computer program’ is to be understood tomean any software product stored on a computer-readable medium, such asa floppy disk, downloadable via a network, such as the Internet, ormarketable in any other manner.

1. A method of storing content on a removable medium, the methodcomprising the steps of: providing a user interface for selecting afirst content item stored on a storage means; retrieving a furthercontent item related to the first content item from a system on anetwork using an identifier of the first content item, said identifierbeing an indicator selected from the group consisting of a fingerprintof the content item, an identifier embedded in the content item, anidentifier embedded in an electronic program guide entry of the contentitem, and an address of the system, said further content item comprisinga part of a master copy of the first content item, said part not beingpresent in the first content item; and storing the further content onthe removable medium.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein themethod further comprises the step of: storing the first content item onthe removable medium.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein themethod further comprises the step of: providing a user interface forpaying for the further content item.
 4. The method as claimed in claim1, wherein said method further comprises the step of: determiningwhether a user is a subscriber.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1,wherein the step of retrieving a further content item comprisesretrieving at least one of: a removed scene, an added scene, abiography, a documentary, an image, an advertisement, a menu, a menucomprising an advertisement, and a trailer.
 6. The method as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the step of storing the further content on theremovable medium further comprises storing a menu on the removablemedium.
 7. An electronic device for storing content on a removablemedium, the electronic device comprising: a storage means having contextstored thereon; a writer for storing content on the removable medium; anetwork interface; and a control unit having an input device to enable auser to select a first content item stored on a storage means, thecontrol unit being operative to use the network interface to retrieve afurther content item related to the first content item from a system ona network using an identifier of the content item, the identifier beingan indicator selected from the group consisting of a fingerprint of thecontent item, an identifier embedded in the content item, an identifierembedded in an electronic program guide entry of the content item, andaddress of the system, said further content item comprising a part of amaster copy of the first content item, said part not being present inthe first content item, and the control unit controlling the writer tostore the further content item on the removable medium.
 8. A computerstorage medium embodying program instructions that when executed, causea programmable apparatus to function as an electronic device for storingcontent on a removable medium, comprising functions for: providing auser interface for selecting a first content item stored on a storagemeans; retrieving a further content item related to the first contentitem from a system on a network using an identifier of the content item,wherein the identifier is an indicator selected from the groupconsisting of a fingerprint of the content item, an identifier embeddedin the content item, an identifier embedded in an electronic programguide entry of the content item, and address of the system, said furthercontent item comprising a part of a master copy of the first contentitem, said part not being present in the first content item; and storingthe further content item on the removable medium.